Quote Originally Posted by badger View Post
but it was very difficult because she was asking me questions in German and I couldn't even decipher them to put into the translator. It was absolutely horrible telling her that he died - literally "dad dead".

I really do wish my dad spoke to us in German as children, at the very least we would've had the capacity to understand spoken German if not speaking it ourselves. I'd like to learn it, I think it sounds really cool, but it's a really difficult language to learn.
to me, it is a difficult language to learn --French is a cinch by comparison. At least in trying to speak it.

She would understand your blunt German words. (That's how I speak Chinese with my mother, my relatives... truly. No one cares..at least in Canada.)

It might be worth finding a German deli or store (there is a German club in Vancouver for you to ask for advice where to get this stuff) that might have a card..with some German text..

Do you think your aunt might even know French....many Europeans have at least simple grasp of key words in a 2nd or 3rd language? Jack's relatives would know at least a few key French words.

If she lives near the French border ...